Choice We Made
by TNdani
Summary: Callie and Arizona.  Written after 7x7.  Can they live with the choices they made?
1. Chapter 1

I feel like we need something , so here is shot at what could happen. For those reading Act of Love I am hoping this has unblocked thing. LOL I really felt like this place needed this more tonight. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1

Two months had passed. Two months of Callie walking around Seattle Grace Mercy West like she had lost her best friend. It was appropriate because she had. She was forced to think of Arizona every second she was in that apartment. It was her new paint and decorations. Callie couldn't stand it. She hated it almost as much as she hated Arizona Robbins. So a solution to the problem was simple; she never went there. She had let April move in with her a week after Arizona left. It was help to Callie really. She slept in the on-call room every day and April watered the flowers and checked the mail. Anything that was addressed to Arizona was forward to her parents house.

Daniel Robbins called Callie once to check on something; anything. Callie was pretty sure that Arizona had put him up to the phone call. He was disappointed to hear that Callie wasn't there. He asked April about Callie. She told him Callie was fine. She was upset for a day or two, but had moved on. April hated to lie, because she was sure it was going straight back to Arizona.

Everyone at the hospital had treated Callie with kid gloves since Arizona left. They weren't sure who's side to be on. They all knew that Callie really didn't want to go to Africa. She did it once and she was settled now. She had a good job with great friends that she didn't want to leave. It was a choice Arizona made before Callie and she had no idea how two years down the road, some silly paperwork would turn her life upside down. She wanted Callie to go, it was Callie that made it clear in the last couple of days she didn't want to leave. The chief was teasing her and it was obvious to Arizona, Callie wanted stay. Callie's career was just as important as Arizona's.

That's what lead them to that moment, in a crowded airport, screaming at each other. Both were so hurt by the other, neither would stop long enough to listen to the other. Neither one realizing that it wasn't anger, regret or disappointment that was talking, it was hurt. Hurt caused both of them to come to that fight. Arizona was hurt Callie wasn't happy for her and seemed detracted by bribes from the Chief. Callie was hurt when Arizona told her to be happy. They both said things they didn't mean. They were hurt. Hurt is a funny emotion. Anger you get over, disappointment disappears, regret gives way to life. Hurt is something that stays. In the quiet of the night, it was hurt that lolled Callie and Arizona to sleep at night.

Arizona's days were empty and sad. The once perky doctor rarely smiled. She would give her best fake smile to the tiny humans, but it was just that, fake. She died inside the day she left. She was haunted at night by Callie's hurt look on her face. Arizona had left her and stupidly told her to be happy. That was the other thing that kept Arizona awake at night. Callie happy? Arizona hated the thought of Callie smiling that smile at someone else. Of someone else laying in her bed. Someone else making Callie happy. Arizona Robbins was broken like she never had been before. Arizona was sure that if she went back to Seattle in three years, Callie would have moved on. A lot kept Arizona awake at night. She wished she was back in Seattle. She wished she could say I am sorry. She had called Callie's phone once. She wasn't surprised when her ex-girlfriend didn't answer the phone. Arizona hung up when the voicemail picked up. She wished she was back in Seattle.

**Callie's POV**

"What's wrong? I did like you asked." The young intern asked.

"It's ok April. Just let me in." I stepped up to the pt's side. "Wow, it's worse than the MRI showed." I talked to the interns as I worked. "It's called a bucket handle tear in her meniscus. No wonder that the pain was so bad. Come over here and look."

April and Jackson stepped up closer. "See how the meniscus is torn and double over."

"Yeah." The said in unison.

"See how it's hung in the knee? It's standing up like a bucket handle." I made the cuts that I needed to in order to release the meniscus. "Alright, we are done."

"Callie?" April said in a whisper.

"Yes?" I said finishing the stitching.

"Callie?" April said again.

I looked up in frustration. "What?"

April's eyes gazed up over my right shoulder. Her head raised up in a nod toward the gallery. Before I could turn around and look, Mark came into the OR. "Torres!"

I saw him looking too. "What the hell is it?" I said as I turned around to look at the gallery. I almost dropped the instruments in my hands when I saw a familiar blonde standing in the gallery. I turned around as she raised her hand to wave. As my back was now to her, I took a deep breathe and tried to gather my thoughts. I looked at the people in front of me. They were all looking from me to her. "People, if you want to see a show, go follow Grey and Yang. If you want to fix this girls knee then stop looking around the room. Jackson?"

"Yeah, doctor Torres."

"Close off that damn gallery!"

**Arizona's POV**

As I walked into the gallery, I lost my breathe. I was nervous to see Callie. I had a few hellos as I walked down the halls of the hospital. I had never be afraid to step in this room, but today I was. I walked down the two steps and stood in front of the large window. I noticed the double take that April gave in my direction. "Damn it" I whispered as I had been spotted. I then saw Mark Sloan almost run into the OR and say something to Callie.

"Oh God." Escaped my mouth as I noticed she was being told of my presents and she started to turn around. I felt like a kid that was caught with their hand in the cookie jar. I didn't know what to do other than wave.

I watched Callie turn round and the mood in the room suddenly return to normal. Then suddenly the blinds were pulled on the gallery window. I knew immediately just how angry Callie Torres was at me. I sat down in the chair closest to me. I didn't know what to do, what to say, or how I was going to get Callie to talk to me. All I knew was just seeing her, angry or not, made me smile. I stood and walked out of the room. I came here to do a job, not sit in this chair. I needed to find the objected of my sudden happiness.

**Callie's POV**

As I walked out of the operating room, I leaned against the sink. "Why is she here?" I hit the sink and yelled out "Damn it!" as Mark walked into the room.

"You want some time alone?"

"Why is she here?"

"I don't know. I do know that she was in the chief's office and that if the rumors are true, she got her job back."

I immediately turned my head toward him. "What? Mark, that means…..God….."

"She's back for good is what it means."

"Why?"

Mark patted me on the shoulder as he pulled me into a hug. "I know she didn't come back for any of us. She is here for you."

I let out a deep sigh. "Most days I hate her and now she is in the gallery looking at me."

Mark pulled back and took me by the shoulders. "Listen, the only thing that you two did wrong was you are lousy at talking. You should have told her you didn't want to go instead of her coming to that conclusion on her own. She was hurt and then she hurt you."

"I'm not ready to talk to her."

"Then don't. You two need to make sure you are ready to talk before you try again. Make sure you aren't going to yell. You need to talk. Now come on. You can't hide in here."

I walked to my locker looking around every corner making sure I didn't see her. I walked in the locker room and let out a sign thanking God I had made it. As I walked to the locker I saw a note typed to the inside of the locker. I pulled the note down and read it.

_Callie,_

I love you.

-Arizona

I held that note for what seemed like forever. After I crumbled it and threw it into my locker and walked toward my new apartment; the on-call room.

**Arizona's POV**

I saw him coming toward me out of the corner of my eye as I was charting. "What is it Mark?" I said without raising my head.

"How was Africa?"

I took a deep breathe, put my pen down and turned my attention to him. "It was good. There is a lot of work to be done there. A lot of children that need pediatric surgeons."

"So way is the best one standing here?"

I knew that Mark saw the tears that were now burning my eyes. "Do you know it's an eighteen hour flight to Africa?"

"No."

"Eighteen hours Mark of sitting there looking at the empty seat beside you. Of thinking what an idiot I was to do that. Two months of crying myself to sleep at night. I love her. More than me or medication or even the tiny humans. I love her more than anything."

"So you came back for Torres?"

"I want the better part of my life back. I have to get her back. I will do whatever it takes. How ever long it takes. I WILL get her back."

"Ok, then. I am with you."

**Callie's POV**

I finally made it to the on-call room without being spotted. I laid in that bed for three hours staring at the ceiling. I was interrupted by my phone. I had a new text message. I clicked the button to view the message.

_Torres, you gotta talk to her._

I dropped the phone on my chest as I continued to lay there. I laid my arm across my eyes and just tried to think. It was no use my mind was running in a million different directions. I heard the door open and didn't even look. I knew it was Mark.

"Look, Mark, I will when I feel like it."

"You aren't sleep in our apartment anymore?"

I quickly sat up and looked at Arizona. "Go away."

"You…you cut your hair?"

"Go away." I laid back down.

"You are sleeping here now?"

"It's the on-call room. God just go away."

"No. Not until you say something to me other than go away."

I stood and grabbed my lab coat as I walked to the door. I stopped just in front of her. "Ok, you want something different? Stay the fuck out of my way Robbins." With that, I left the room.

I walked as fast as I could. Down the hallway, down the stair case, through the front lobby and out the front door. I walked down the sidewalk until I could no longer breathe. I stopped and doubled over crying. Damn her. Damn you, Arizona.

**Arizona's POV**

"Stay the fuck out of my way Robbins." I watched Callie walk out of the room. I was ripped to the ground by one sentences. As hard as I tried the tears started. Damn you. Damn you, Callie.

Chapter 2

The next two weeks was a job for Callie. She spent more time avoiding Arizona than she did in surgery. Everywhere she knew Arizona she was; Callie wasn't. If she noticed her in the cafeteria, she ate later. People didn't mention her name to Callie. If Callie had issues in the peds unit she dealt with Alex.

She went to sleep every night by the taste of alcohol and the thought of Arizona Robbins. Callie was sure that she could deal with almost anything, but the hurt she had no control over. It just wouldn't stop. What she didn't know was across town there was a blonde going to bed the same way. Living the pain with every breathe just like her.

**Arizona's POV**

I had a very busy day today. It is never good when the pediatric unit is full. Sick, tiny humans are heartbreaking. I would just add that to my list of heartaches these days. As I walked down the hall, something caught my eye in one of the labs. I stopped and looked into the widow to see a woman looking through a microscope only breaking away to chart the progress she made. I took a deep breathe and walked into the room unannounced.

Callie looked up at me with a stern look and returned to the microscope. "I have nothing to say to you, Doctor Robbins."

Every time she called me Doctor Robbins or Robbins, it turned the dagger a little more. "Ok" I said holding back the emotion that wanted so desperately to make it's way out. "You don't have to talk to me. I will talk."

"I am busy."

"As am I. The peds unit is full, so yeah, I'm busy too." Callie never looked up, so I continued. "I want to explain something to you. I knew that you didn't want to go. I knew the whole time. How could I not. Callie, I was hurt. I wanted you to go with me. I wanted you to be proud of me, for me."

"I was." Callie looked up in disbelief. "I was proud of you."

"You had a funny way of showing it."

"I am busy here." She returned to her work.

"All day you were angry. You were mad that Mark took a freaking waffle maker. You thought the gifts that those sick little children made for me was a joke. They are children, Callie. You say you want one? Their parents were just like us. Two people that loved each other and woke up one day and their child was sick. Those children needed me, so yeah I loved the macaroni glued to every paper plate."

"Are you about done?" Callie anger was showing again.

"No, no I am not. Your best friend decorated the doctors lounge and bought awful cupcakes with Halloween sparkles and it was the sweetest thing, and you were mad. You and the Chief were playing this cat and mouse game and you were taking the bait. You didn't want to go. I wanted this for me. I did this before you, but it was for me."

"I begged you to let me go. I BEGGED you. The person you loved begged you and you walked away like it was nothing. Like I was some chic you met in a bar the night before. You looked at me and told me to take care of myself like I meant nothing to you."

"Is that what you think? I spent an eighteen hour flight crying my eyes out looking at the empty seat next to me. I did what I thought was best for you too. I understand that…."

Callie stood and walked toward me. "You understand what? How I felt? Let me tell you how I felt. George came home one night and I found out he was falling in love with someone else. Even that didn't compare. You know what I felt like? I felt like I was standing in front of Seattle Grace Hospital again watching the woman that is suppose to care about me walk away."

"Are you comparing me to Hahn?"

"Where is the difference. Oh yeah, the difference is I loved you. Nothing compared to that moment. You walked away like it meant nothing to you. That me standing there crying was nothing to you."

"It was something to me."

"Now you are the one that has a funny way of showing things. I told you we were through if you left and you told me we already were. When was that Arizona? When did that happen because I didn't see it." Callie walked around me out of the room.

For the first time since I came home I wondered if this was hopeless.

**Callie's POV**

I could never have imagined wanting to get away from Arizona. I just had to get out of that room. I walked into the Doctor's lounge to find Cristina waiting on Owen.

"Have I told you I love that hair cut?"

"Well I hope the hell so, it's your fault."

"You put the idea in my head. You know I am looking for a new field."

"God, are you still on that?"

"Don't judge me. Where's little bo peep."

"Who? She is out there somewhere. Waiting around corners and finding me while I am trying to be rock star."

"She talked to me this morning."

"She did?"

"Yes. You know we really were an ass that day."

"What the hell? She left me standing in an airport. How is this my fault?"

"I didn't say it was. I am just saying that you both caused that moment. Roller girl wasn't the only one."

"I liked you better when you were just walking the halls staring like a zombie." I said as I left yet another room.

**Arizona's POV**

I was still sitting where Callie left me when I heard the door open. "You hiding too?'

"No Mark."

"Kinda looks like it." He said as he pulled a stool up beside me. "You wanna talk?"

I would have never seen me spilling my guts to Mark Sloan, but after the past couple of months before Africa, I had really come to like Mark. "She won't even talk to me. How do I have a chance in hell if she won't even talk to me?"

"Callie's been through a lot Arizona."

"I know and so have I. The past couple of months have not been easy for me either, Mark. I love her. I was over there just trying to survive."

"I am not talking about this, Robbins. Callie has been through a lot. Look at George and Erica. People leave her broken and alone. Her family turned their backs on her because she is gay. They just left her like it was nothing to them while she was crushed."

"I remember I was the one holding her hand."

"And I was the one holding it through Erica and when you left. She was a wreck after the George fiasco. She opened up and let Erica in and she left her. Just standing like she was nothing. Then she wanted to try again and she let you in and you left her like it was nothing. People leave her like she never meant anything to them. Like she was nothing."

"She was everything."

"LIKE SHE WAS NOTHING." Mark said firmly "You are never going to fix this until you realize what was going through her head and she can't see what you went through until she will listen. It's up to you make her listen."

"How do I do that? She won't even be in the same room with me."

"She doesn't trust you. You broke her trust in the love you two had. You have to figure out how to fix it. You have to mend that trust. How does she know that she isn't going to let you back in and then come home one day and you gone again. Someone she loves has left her again. Once you get her to trust that you aren't going to leave her again, then you have a chance in hell."

I reached over and kissed Mark on the cheek "You are brilliant."

"I am?"

"You are. I gotta make Callie realize she can trust me." With that I was out the door to make Callie trust me again.

**Callie's POV**

I was so thankful to finally have the lab back to myself. I was now making huge progress on my work. It had been hours since I had seen Arizona. Rumor had it that she had left the hospital. I didn't care as long as I didn't have to look at her or hear her. I was making huge progress. I am a rock star.

I was making huge progress until the door opened again. I looked up to see the same face as before. I dropped my pen and sighed.

"I know, I know. You aren't talking to me and that's ok." Arizona walked over to the table and stood just in front of me. "We don't have to talk. I just want you to know that will never leave you behind again. I can only try and make you believe that. So this is my best effort. I wanted to give you a souvenir." Arizona pulled something from her lab coat. She placed the box on the table. I looked at it. "Open it."

When I opened the box I tried not to lose my breathe. In the box was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. I couldn't speak.

"You don't have to talk to me now, Callie. I love you and will never leave you again. So when you are ready to open that beautiful mouth and talk to me again. I will listen. Until then I will wait."

With that, she was gone as quick as she had came in.


	2. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry."_

"_You're sorry? You're sorry? It's three years."_

"_You stay here and be happy and I'll go there and be happy."_

"_If You get on that plane. If you go without me, WE ARE DONE. Do you hear me? We are over."_

"_We are standing in the middle of a airport screaming at each other. We're already over."_

**Callie's POV**

I wasn't sure how long that I had been staring at that box, when Mark came in. I never looked up at him.

"You paged me 911. You must have become your rock star" Mark walked around the table saying. "Let me see." He stopped when he realized that wasn't why I paged him. I still couldn't speak. "Go Robbins!"

"Mark, what do I do?"

"Well for starters." Mark closed the box, that I had yet to take my eyes off of. "Look at me." I looked up at Mark with a look of complete desperation. "For starters we are going to stop looking at this." He moved the box away from me.

"I was so mad at her and she sits this here and now I don't know what I feel."

"As your friend, I feel like I need to tell you this. The days after we found out that Robbins won the Carder-Madison, you were….well….a bitch."

"Mark!"

"You were. She won this major grant and all she wanted was for you to be happy with her. You were going to go with her and you were still upset. When we were at the going away party.."

"That wasn't a party."

"See. You started and then the chief was telling you this stuff that he had plans for and you were just mean to her."

"I was not."

"You were. She told you that you were ruining it for her and you were."

"So you are saying this was my fault? God why is everyone saying that?"

"Whole world isn't gonna lie on you, Torres."

"You and Cristina aren't the whole world. I totally get that you think you are, but you aren't."

"Remember that I said you were a chic getting double D sized cuz her girlfriend liked a nice rack?"

"I told you I loved her."

"She was hurt. She wanted to share that with you. Am I saying it's your fault? No. Am I saying that you are fifty percent to blame? At least."

"Thanks. You are suppose to have my back."

"Look, if someone doesn't tell you the truth you are never going to forgive that woman that loves you. You are going to lose the love of your life if you don't talk to her."

**Arizona's POV**

I hadn't seen Callie since I gave her the ring, but it was finally the end of really long day. I was walking down the stairs when Mark was coming toward me. "Good luck, Robbins." He said smiling as he passed me on the stairs. I came to the bottom and started out the front door when I heard a familiar voice call my name.

"Arizona."

I turned to see Callie. I returned her smile. "Yes?"

I felt my knees weaken as she walked toward me. I was sure that she could hear my heart beating. She finally spoke. "I…I thought maybe we could talk."

"I'd like that."

"We could go to the apartment and I could make you dinner. April is on call so we would have the apartment alone."

"Ok." That was all I could manage to say. I followed behind her as she walked out of the hospital.

When we walked into the apartment and Callie apologized for the mess. Turns out April had decorated for Christmas and was now taking them down just days before the New Year. "I haven't been here much lately."

"I've heard that."

Callie laid her purse on the bar and I followed her lead. Neither one was speaking. Neither one of us knowing what to say. "I don't know if you heard me the day other day…..but….your hair?"

"Yeah, you can thank Cristina for that."

"Cristina?"

"Yeah, she was going through some stuff, I was going through some stuff and I mentioned that I thought about cutting my hair and the rest is history. She was behind me with scissors that I so didn't see and she just cut a long lock of it off. So I had a choice, cut the rest to match or walk around in a scrub cap for 6 months." Callie must have noticed the huge smile that I could feel forming on my face. She returned the smile nervously. "What?"

"That's the most you have said to me since I came home. I missed just hearing your voice. I missed you."

Callie turned and grabbed a bottle of wine. "Drink?"

"Oh god, please." Callie chuckled as she handed me the glass. "So how have you been?"

"Good. Chief Webber made good on his promise. I got some great new equipment in Ortho."

"Good. I'm glad that things worked out for you. That everything was good."

I know that Callie sensed the disappointment in my voice. "It wasn't all good. Being here, in this apartment, was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I could almost hear your voice sometimes."

"Callie, I am so sorry. I am sorry that I didn't talk to you more about the Carder-Madison, that I put you in a position to make you feel that you had to go. The one thing that I am the most sorry for is leaving you in that airport."

Callie quickly gulped the entire glass of wine. After she regained her breathing, she spoke. "I resented it. A grant. I resented a grant. One that helps children. I hated it." Callie rambled off as she poured another glass. "We were in this place, this good place and then you got the grant and I knew everything would change immediately."

"I think we all knew you hated it. No doubts here."

"I am sorry, Arizona. I loved you and you won this major award that no one actually wins and I was proud of you."

I was still set back by the first sentence. "You loved me? You make it sound like you don't now."

"If I told you that someone having the much power over didn't scare me, then that would be a lie. We survived my family, and babies, and a gunman. We moved in together and were happy, then we left for the airport and you are telling we have been over. If I said that I trust you, it would be a lie."

"Ok. I understand that. Callie, because I love you I want the best for you. I want you to have the world at your fingertips. I want to be there when you are your rock star and hold you when cry because a patient dies. I WANT the best for you. You never, at any point, wanted Africa. I won this unbelievable grant and I couldn't turn it down, but I couldn't make you miserable either. It was mine to do, not yours. It wasn't fair."

"What wasn't fair was I didn't get a choice. How do I know that you wouldn't do that again? How do I know that ten years down the road you wouldn't do that again?"

"You don't. All I can say is I did what I thought was best for both of us. I lived that, Callie. Ten years down the road I will love you ten times more than I do now and I will remember the worst two months of my life. I will remember being that far away from you and wanting to hold you so bad that it made me sick."

"You say that now."

"I can't make you trust me, Callie. All I can do is ask that you try."

Callie filled her glass again. "I just….I don't know." She gulped the glass again.

"Callie, please. Now I am the one standing here begging you. You don't have to tell me tonight, but let me try. Let me try and make you trust me again, love me again."

"You scare me."

"And this scares me. Not having you terrifies me. Please."

"So what are you suggesting we try?"

"Slow."

Callie looked at me as she drank her fourth glass of wine. It was obvious dinner was out. "That ring, you mean that?" I nodded yes. "You are ready for that kind of commitment?"

Again I nodded yes. "I love you, Callie. I never doubted that, but if I thought for one second that I wanted a life that doesn't involves you in anyway, I learned my lesson. I don't want to spend one more day of my life without you."

I watched as Callie rounded the bar and stood right in front of me. "I am sorry that I made you feel like your grant was a burden to me. I am sorry that I made you feel that Africa would be better without me. I love you Arizona and I could take you back right now and go in that bedroom and be up with you all night, but in the morning I would worry you would leave. No matter how angry I got at you, I could never leave you like that. I don't know how to forget that."

"And I am sorry that I did this to us." I picked up my purse "I should go. You clearly aren't ready to put this behind you. I understand." I was now standing in front of Callie looking into her eyes. Both of our eyes searching for something we had missed. Searching for the love that we had before that day. "I will go."

As I walked around Callie she didn't move. Just before I got to the door, she spoke, "I do love you. I haven't stopped loving you. I couldn't."

She didn't turn toward me so I walked back in front of her where she was looking at the floor. "Look at me. I will fix this. I promise, I will fix us." I reached out and took Callie cheek then pulled her lips to mine. I don't remember ever kissing Callie that way. It was two people that loved each other so much, but had somehow lost their way. It was soft and romantic, then it was deep and passionate. I felt Callie slid the purse from my shoulder and pull me in tighter.

Her hand found the bottom of my shirt and unbuttoned the bottom one. I stopped her. "Callie we don't….."

Callie looked deep into my eyes. "I need to be near you. I need you next to me when I wake up in the mornings. I wanna fix us, but tonight I need you."

That was all Callie had to say. Before I knew it, I was helping her remove every piece of clothing we both had on. Callie was right, she could have stayed up with me all night. She did. We made love over and over until I saw every ounce of worry and fear fade from Callie's eyes. Til she looked at me without hurt and anger. We made love until I saw in her eyes the one thing I needed; love. I knew then that love is never hopeless and never finished growing. I knew I had never loved Callie more.

The End


End file.
